


What the Water Brought Me

by scarletsaber (sushibunny)



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Never Met, Alternate Universe- Mermaids, Cameos From Rei and Nagisa, Fluff, M/M, Merman Tachibana Makoto, Oblivious Pining, Orca!Makoto, Researcher!Haruka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 08:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9712901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushibunny/pseuds/scarletsaber
Summary: Haru didn't set out to find a mermaid when he took the research job, but that's what he ends up doing. Or- more accurately- the mermaid finds him.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SamCyberCat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamCyberCat/gifts).



> I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you enjoy!

The first time Haru met Makoto he had been out checking equipment on the research vessel he was working on. He was just fine tuning things, making sure everything was functioning properly- not trying to actually do anything even resembling marine research- when suddenly the boat rocked violently to the side, something having smashed into it. It took Haru a moment to right himself as the boat continued to list back and forth from the force, but when he did he was shocked to find the cause of the disturbance peering back up at him as he looked over the rail.

“Hi! Sorry about that!” a brunet man with bright green eyes said, waving up at Haru with a slightly sheepish grin. “Your sonar turned me around a bit and I got confused and swam into your boat.”

Haru regarded the man with confusion. He was pretty far out in the Sea of Japan, with no other boats in sight; what was this guy doing all the way out there by himself?

“I hope I didn’t startle you too badly,” the stranger continued, tilting his head as he looked Haru up and down. “I’m usually not so clumsy… Mostly…”

“What are you doing out here?” Haru found himself asking, though his flat tone made it sound more like a demand.

“Eh? Oh, just swimming, really. I’m not especially hungry, so I’m not looking for fish at the moment.”

Haru’s eyebrows rose a bit incredulously at that. Swimming? Fishing? Who was this guy?

“Oh, I’m being rude, aren’t I?” A large hand was suddenly thrust up at him. “I’m Makoto! Nice to meet you!”

Haru regarded it with suspicion for a moment before kneeling down on the deck so he could reach the proffered hand, cautiously reaching out to shake it. “... Haru.”

The man smiled blindingly up at him, showing off what Haru could now see was a mouth full of very sharp teeth. Before he could jerk his hand back, Makoto had let go, still looking up at him cheerily from the water. Haru wasn’t sure what to do next- should he be polite and ignore it or just go with his gut and ask who the man’s dentist was so he could be sure never to go there himself?

Before he could make a decision, however, Makoto’s head suddenly turned, ears seeming to perk up at something- though that was a ridiculous thought, human ears couldn’t do such a thing.

“Ah, sorry Haru! My family is calling, I’ve got to go! I live around here though, so hopefully I’ll see you again sometime!” Makoto called cheerily, giving him a wave before he turned and dove backwards into the water, a large black tail kicking powerfully behind him where his legs should have been.

Haru promptly fell back on his ass as he watched in stunned disbelief as Makoto swam away, sleek tail and dorsal fin peaking up through the waves as he swam away from the boat along the surface for a few seconds before giving Haru one last wave and diving beneath the surf and out of sight.

And that’s how Haru met his first mermaid.

* * *

 

His supervisor Rei had been a bit surprised when Haru returned that afternoon- more silent and brooding than usual- until he had managed to coax the story out of Haru. Apparently Rei was well acquainted with Makoto the mermaid- _merman_ , Rei had corrected- as his family- _pod_ \- lived in the area they often did research in and Makoto was a frequent visitor to their boats. Haru had demanded to know why he wasn’t informed of such a thing and Rei had merely looked at him over the red rim of his glasses and wondered aloud if Haru would have believed him if he had been told.

Haru had kept silent after that.

* * *

 

From then on, his future trips out to the area had always ended up with Makoto showing up, somehow always able to tell when it was Haru manning the ship and almost exclusively appearing when Haru was alone; something that disappointed Rei’s assistant Nagisa to no end.

It wasn’t that Haru minded the company- no, Makoto was actually quite enjoyable to have around, even if Haru would never admit it. He provided calming background noise while Haru worked in the form of mostly one sided conversations, Haru only occasionally adding in when he felt a particular urge. Makoto was also helpful in swimming down to retrieve old equipment and swap in new for Haru- not that he would have minded doing the swimming himself, Makoto just insisted. And of course the mackerel Makoto brought him after learning of Haru’s affection for it didn’t hurt either.

Sometime when he had finished his tasks early and had time to spare before he needed to bring the boat back, Haru would strip down to his wetsuit and swim with Makoto. He had been anxious at the idea at first- Makoto looked exceptionally strong, from his muscular upper body that would put many human bodybuilders to shame to his thick tail which Haru had seen him use to propel himself effortlessly through the water many times. But Rei had assured him Makoto was the most gentle creature- or person, he wasn’t quite sure how to qualify him- he had ever met, and swimming with him was absolutely safe; especially when sharks were known to frequent the area.

So Haru indulged his love of the water and joined Makoto in its embrace, oftentimes just floating on the surface in peace, with Makoto more than happy to join him, though he continued to chatter on even as they relaxed in the waves. Other times Haru liked to swim, pulling on his snorkel and following Makoto beneath the surface. Makoto seemed to especially enjoy that activity, often swimming ecstatic circles around Haru and sometimes pulling him along as they swam. Haru didn’t mind the extra attention- the water seemed to love Makoto as much as it loved him, so who was he to say otherwise?

Makoto would show him all sorts of sights; shoals and reefs teaming with life, caves and sunken ships. Haru vowed to one day bring a scuba tank with him so he could fully appreciate the beauty that Makoto showed him without having to surface for air every couple of minutes.

Makoto had asked him about that once, a human’s ability to hold their breath. He had looked disappointed when Haru told him it was so limited, and offered to share his own breath when Haru’s ran out so they wouldn’t have to go back up so often. Haru had politely declined, a fierce blush painting his cheeks even as he told himself Makoto didn’t have any ulterior motives with the offer.

Haru often wondered what Makoto did when he wasn’t hanging around Haru, and when he finally gathered the courage to ask, Makoto was more than happy to tell him more about his ocean life. He spoke of spending time with his family- parents and younger siblings mostly, though his pod was a fair size full of extended family. Makoto spent much of his time watching his siblings- Haru could tell he was a doting brother- and when not with them or Haru he was often out hunting for fish or crabs or visiting his mermaid friends of different species.

When Haru asked about them- curious and not at all a bit jealous- Makoto wouldn’t look him in the eye, refusing to tell Haru more than that he probably wouldn’t get along too well with Rin or Sousuke; that Rin wasn’t really the “ _human friendly_ ” type and that Sousuke was probably too much like Haru for them to get on well. Haru wasn’t sure what to make of that, but let it go when it was clear Makoto was uncomfortable with the subject.

All in all, Makoto being there during his work made the time fly by, and really Haru wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It’s not that he hated his work- though he could definitely think of better things to do with his time than stand around taking readings or fine tuning equipment all day. But Makoto being there interrupted the monotony and made everything… better. So much so that he found himself loathe to leave every afternoon, often wishing he had more work to do so he could stay and hear more about Makoto’s siblings or the interesting fish he had seen the other night.

But that was definitely a normal thing, missing your friends. And Makoto was his friend; a friend he wanted to see daily and for much more than just six hours a day.

Totally normal things to want.

* * *

 

It was about three weeks after meeting Makoto that he started bringing Haru things other than mackerel. Haru soon found himself returning to the research facility with shells, rocks, and random bits of debris Makoto had found on the seabed. Even though most people would consider a lot of it to be junk, Haru couldn’t find it in himself to throw any of it away. He had a shelf in his apartment that was slowly starting to look- and smell- like the bottom of the ocean, but Haru didn’t mind. He quite liked it, often catching himself staring at it in the quiet of his room.

When Rei questioned him one night as he was packing up his paperwork and the large shell Makoto had managed to find, he shrugged it off as nothing special. After all, Makoto had been bringing him trinkets for months, why would it matter now?

Rei had given him a searching look, asking if he had “ _reciprocated Makoto’s… gesture._ ” Well, he had taken to sharing his lunch with Makoto, and sometimes bringing him desserts- the merman was quite fond of chocolate- and he’d let him read his old manga when Haru was particularly busy with a task and couldn’t be disturbed. But that was just something friends did, and he told Rei as much.

Rei had sighed loudly, opening and closing his mouth a few times as if he was oddly at a loss for words. Nagisa had started giggling uncontrollably, the noise only increasing when Rei turned to scold him, saying it was no laughing matter. That’s when Haru took his leave, deciding it wasn’t worth the effort to find out what the two were on about.

Besides, he knew just the perfect spot to display his new shell and was eager to see if it looked as good as he thought it would.

* * *

 

It wasn’t uncommon for Makoto to ask Haru about the human world- in fact he did so every day, eager to learn more about the world on land. But his questions had increased and taken a bit of an odd turn about six months after they met.

“Hey, Haru…” Makoto had asked from his position sunning himself on the small deck of the boat.

Haru hadn’t been sure about Makoto climbing on board at first, worried about both the state of the ship and Makoto’s wellbeing. But Makoto had assured him it was fine. He could survive outside of the water for long periods of time, something he had discovered when he had pulled himself aboard Rei’s boat after meeting him. Rei had wanted to take measurements and perform other such scientific tasks, of course, but he had given Makoto some squid he had pulled up earlier, and Makoto hadn’t minded in the least, letting Rei go about his business- though he had confessed to Haru that Rei’s laugh had set him a bit on edge. And the boat had survived, so no worries there.

Haru turned his head up from his notebook, humming at Makoto to continue before looking back at the figures on the sheet.

“Um, how do human relationships work?” The words had been hesitant, very unlike Makoto’s usual cheerful and straightforward manner.

“What do you mean?” Haru asked, not looking up as he erased some numbers and rewrote the correct ones.

“Well… like… like mates. Do humans do that?”

Haru’s eyes shifted to look at Makoto, finding him staring determinedly up at the sky, fingers clenched tightly together over his chest. “Most do,” he answered slowly, trying to figure out why Makoto was suddenly asking him that. “Some pair up for life. Others switch partners. Some have multiple partners at once. Is that what you mean?”

“Mmm. I guess…” Makoto shifted onto his side, finally looking over at Haru, face red from the sun- or perhaps something else, Haru wasn’t sure. “What about Haru? Do you have a… partner?”

Haru’s eyes widened in surprise and he looked away, embarrassed for some reason. “No.”

“Oh. Okay.” Makoto sounded more like his old self again, voice less somber. Haru wondered why. “Me neither. I don’t have a mate yet,” he added, catching Haru’s eyes.

Haru found himself unable to look away from the piercing green gaze, feeling warm all over in a way that had nothing to do with the midday sun.

A sudden beeping from one of his scanners broke the heavy moment, Haru having to tend to the device or else it would keep blaring at him. When he turned back Makoto had slipped back into the water, calling back that he was going to look for a snack and that he’d return soon.

Haru felt strangely lonely while he was gone.

* * *

 

A few months after that incident Haru was in the water, taking a break to swim with Makoto. Things between them had remained much the same; they still talked constantly- or at least Makoto did- swam together, ate together, enjoyed each other’s company. Yet it was also different. There was an undercurrent there, between them. Haru didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t mind it either.

“I found something I think you’ll like, Haru-chan!” Makoto said, smiling the same bright smile he always gave Haru as he swam them along, Haru holding onto his dorsal fin as he had come to do when Makoto wanted to take him further away than Haru could comfortably swim on his own.

“Enough with the -chan,” he chastised, frowning when Makoto just laughed and continued to swim. Makoto had irritatingly picked up the nickname from Nagisa, and Haru wasn’t sure he would ever forgive the devious assistant for that- though secretly he much preferred the way it sounded coming from Makoto than Nagisa.

It only took a few minutes more for them to reach whatever destination Makoto had in mind.

“We’re here! Come see, Haru!”

Haru followed Makoto underwater, diving down with one hand gripped to his fluke to keep up. It only took Haru a moment to figure out what Makoto wanted to show him, as a silvery school of fish suddenly swam around them. Mackerel, Haru realized.

He watched in awe as the fish seemed to dance beneath the waves, light gleaming off their scales creating a beautiful display in the water. Makoto smiled widely at him, waiting until Haru gave the signal for needing more air before he darted out, catching one then two of the swimming fish with his powerful teeth before pulling Haru back up to the surface. Haru had seen Makoto hunt before, but it never ceased to amaze him how effortless it was for the merman.

“Did you enjoy it?” Makoto asked as soon as they breached the surface, looking at Haru expectantly.

Haru nodded, giving Makoto a smile which made Makoto’s grow even widen in response.

“I’m glad!”

They spent the rest of the day eating the fish Makoto had caught and lounging around on deck, Haru deciding to put off the rest of his paperwork for the next day. He just felt like laying next to Makoto more than crunching numbers and filling in data.

It was getting late when Haru realized he should head back, almost half an hour past when he usually headed in.

“I should go,” he said reluctantly, sitting up on the deck and looking down at Makoto.

“Oh.” Makoto sounded and looked rather disappointed, making Haru frown.

“I’ll be back tomorrow. Like always.”

Makoto brightened a bit at that, smiling softly up at him. “I know. I just… I miss Haru when he’s gone.”

Haru looked down as a blush crawled across his cheeks. “... Me too,” he admitted softly, refusing to look at Makoto.

“Haru…”

He looked up at the pleading tone, expecting Makoto to ask him something embarrassing when suddenly cold lips were pressed to his own and he couldn’t help but gasp in surprise. His eyes slid shut as Makoto’s lips pushed more urgently against his and he felt himself respond in kind, moving his mouth gently against Makoto’s, feeling his lips warm as they matched him in kind. It was over rather quickly and remained chaste, yet Haru had never felt hotter all over in his entire life when he pulled back and opened his eyes to look into a sea of deep green.

“See you tomorrow, Haru-chan,” Makoto whispered, leaning in for another short kiss before sliding beneath the rails and off into the sea.

And that’s when Haru realized he had a problem.

He was in love with a mermaid.

But he couldn’t bring himself to mind in the least.


End file.
